Mascho Piru is the largest uncontacted tribe with an extremely traumatic history. The recent footage of this secluded tribe near the Peruvian Amazon evokes curiosity.
Survival International, a nonprofit that advocates for tribal peoples' rights, says the images are a stark reminder of the urgent need to protect the Mashco Piro's territory. The group is calling for all logging licenses in the area to be revoked.
Mashco Piro Appears Near Yine Villages
The recent sightings come from the Yine people. These people showed up near the Las Piedras River according to Survival International. These sightings are no coincidence, a few miles from their appearance, tree-cutting projects are in action. Mashco Piru people are extremely devoted to protecting their land. Over 50 Mashco Piro were spotted near the Yine village of Monte Salvado in southeastern Peru. A neighboring village spotted 17 members of this indigenous tribe in a different incident.
The Yine people have a language related to the Mashco Piro and have previously reported that the tribe is angry about the presence of loggers on their land.
Logging Companies Operating on Mashco Piro Land
Several logging companies currently hold concessions within the Mashco Piro territory. The nearest concession is just a few miles from where the tribe members were recently spotted.
While the Peruvian government created the Madre de Dios Territorial Reserve in 2002 to protect the Mashco Piro's land, it only covers a third of the area the indigenous rights organization FENAMAD had proposed. Large areas remain unprotected and have been sold off as logging concessions.
One company, Canales Tahuamanu SAC, operates a large concession within the unprotected area. The company claims its operations are certified as sustainable and ethical by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Survival International argues that this certification is a clear violation of FSC's regulations against logging on indigenous territory. This company has covered about 120 miles, building roads into the indigenous land for timber extraction.
Protection of the Mashco Piro Territory
"These incredible images show that a large number of isolated Mashco Piro live alone a few kilometers from where the loggers are about to start their operations," said Survival International Director Caroline Pearce. "The situation is a humanitarian disaster in the making."
FENAMAD president Alfredo Vargas Pio agrees. "This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect but sold off to logging companies," he said in a press release. (via NY Post)
The loggers are a threat to the tribe's future. Enrique, a Yine villager said in an earlier statement "Now, since there have been logging concessions, they feel increasingly pressured and upset because the companies have assaulted them." (via Survival International) The loggers impose the threat of new diseases that could harm the tribe gravely.
The recent sightings of the Mashco Piro highlight the urgent need for the Peruvian government to take action to protect the tribe's land and way of life.
